Unconventional gas keyed to technology, price

Journal Article · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Oil Gas J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6510312

Lewin and Associates says advanced technology and a $3/Mcf price could stimulate production of unconventional natural gas and double U.S. gas reserves. A Lewin study, which notes that a $3/Mcf price would be equivalent to the cost of imported fuel oil, says 200 trillion cu ft or more of unconventional reserves could be added to ultimate recovery with sizable production in the near term--about 8 trillion cu ft/yr by 1990. By contrast, current technology and a $1.75/Mcf gas price yield only about 70 trillion cu ft and 2 trillion/yr of unconventional gas by 1990. The Lewin study pinpoints tight sandstone reservoirs in western and southwestern states as the major source of unconventional gas. It says the Devonian shale of the Appalachian Basin is a second, although smaller, source. The study sees only a small potential for 2 sources previously estimated to hold substantial promise--methane occluded in coal deposits and methane from geopressured reservoirs along the Gulf Coast. It concludes that further information is required on these resources but doubts that significant gas supplies could be realized from them by 1990.

• OSTI ID: 6510312
• Journal Information: Oil Gas J.; (United States), Journal Name: Oil Gas J.; (United States) Vol. 76:18; ISSN OIGJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030900* -- Natural Gas-- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare-- (-1989)
ALKANES
COAL DEPOSITS
DEGASSING
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPRESSURED SYSTEMS
HYDROCARBONS
METHANE
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PRICES
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT